Gov. Rick Scott sent the superintendents of all 67 of Florida’s public school districts a letter today offering to help kick their negotiations into high gear and get state money earmarked for raises into the hands of teachers faster.

“Florida teachers deserve a salary increase, and they should have the benefit of knowing their new salary level as soon as possible so they can best plan their future,” Scott said in the two-page letter, dated Oct. 15. In it he said he has asked new State Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart “to provide any support and guidance you need to come to a final agreement quickly.”

The state legislature earmarked $480 million in state funding to give teachers, media specialists guidance counselors and other employees represented by teacher unions raises. But the state left it to individual districts to negotiate with teacher unions how that money will be doled out in each county and required the raises to be tied to some sort of performance evaluation system.

Scott pointed out that it has been more than 90 days since the July 1 start of the school year when districts got their share of that state money yet only 16 school districts have reached final agreement with their teachers unions. He said Stewart is willing to provide support to the other 51 school districts to speed up their negotiations.

Scott had originally called for teachers to get raises of $2,500 to $3,500 with that specially earmarked money. But at the last minute the legislature also expanded the pool of eligible employees to include principals and assistant principals without increasing the amount of money allocated for raises.

Palm Beach County School District Chief Operating Officer Mike Burke said all those additions as well as retirement contributions the district must make on those raises waters down the amount of raises the district can afford with that money to less than $2,000 per teacher.

In Palm Beach County, the two sides didn’t start negotiating until August. In late August the school district offered all teachers the same amount, a $2,000 raise. Burke said that offer would exhaust all of the $30 million the district received from the state for teacher raises.

Last week the teachers union finally responded with a counter offer asking for as many as three raises up the district’s existing “step” salary schedule depending on how many years of prior experience each teacher has earned.

The school district’s bargaining team rejected that union offer, estimating it would cost as much at least $55 million the first year alone and about $85 million a year in the future, and made a counter offer that would give teachers raises between $1,800 and $2,500 depending on experience.

Union Executive Director Lynn Cavall disputed the district’s cost estimates last week. She said the union wants the school district to put some of its own money into the pot to increase the teacher raises rather than just using the money earmarked from the state.

The next bargaining session between teachers and the district is scheduled for Oct. 24. Burke could not be immediately reached Tuesday regarding whether the district planned to ask Stewart for any help in negotiations.

Cavall said neither side is dragging its feet in the negotiations and she was not sure what help Stewart would really be able to to provide in Palm Beach County. The main sticking point, she said, is that the union wants the district to put more money into funding teacher raises on top of the $30 million handed down from the state.

“I don’t think anybody is stalling at all,” Cavall said. “I really do hope we can come to a settlement fairly quickly.”